How England's Vunipola brothers could have swapped red rose for red dragon

As Wales prepare to do battle with the old enemy tomorrow afternoon, one man in the English camp is sure to feel a tinge of split loyalty when he hears a choir of 76,000 delivering a deafening rendition of Hymns and Arias around the Millennium Stadium.

As Wales prepare to do battle with the old enemy tomorrow afternoon, one man in the English camp is sure to feel a tinge of split loyalty when he hears a choir of 76,000 delivering a deafening rendition of Hymns and Arias around the Millennium Stadium.

With a red rose stitched on his chest Mako Vunipola may be dreaming of Grand Slam success and a chance to make history with his adopted nation.

But the 22-year-old prop juggernaut and his 20-year-old brother Billy, who has also trained with the English squad throughout this year’s Six Nations tournament, could easily have been part of the Welsh setup today.

Thirteen years ago Mako was consumed by international rugby fever at the very same spot, the home of Welsh rugby.

Then nine-years-old he had been taken by his father, Fe’ao, who was in his second season as a hooker with Pontypool, together with Billy, to watch Wales take on France in 2000, the year the Five Nations became Six.

They had moved from Tonga in 1999 because of rugby and during that match Mako fell in love with the sport.

He said: “Like Tonga, Wales is a rugby-mad country, and while I do not think Billy remembers much of that day in the Millennium Stadium, I have never forgotten it.

“The atmosphere was something I had never experienced, even though France won comfortably.

“I left the ground that day determined to play there one day.”

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s encounter he added: “It will be a day of added emotion because a part of me will always be Welsh, even if once the whistle blows it becomes a match like any other.

“It was in Wales where I started playing seriously at school and we spent six years there with Dad joining Pontypridd after a few years with Pontypool.”

Fe’ao Vunipola, known as Vinny, was already a seasoned Tongan international when he arrived at Pontypridd in 1999.

He had previously played his rugby for Wellington in New Zealand, and had led his country into the 1995 and 1999 World Cup campaigns.

The 32-times-capped hooker said: “When I first came here, it was to explore, to see what Great Britain stands for.

“As a boy, we thought only Tongan royalty came here and I’d think, ‘I wish I could go there one day and learn all about Captain Cook and say I’ve seen the world.’

“Eventually I almost gave up hope of living here any longer.

“But when I told dad what I was thinking, he said, ‘You’re soft! Why are you giving up on the children’s future? To live in Britain is a dream for any Tongan.”

Settling into Welsh life, Mako and Billy began playing rugby for local sides including Wattstown Juniors in Ynyshir and the Pontypool district under-11s team.

Vivian said: “The family lived next door to my daughter in Porth and I still speak to the father on the phone.

“They were always promising players, they stood out and so we’ve followed their careers from when they were children.

“Even at that young age they were huge, they looked more like men than children on the rugby field.

“It’s no surprise they’ve gone on to play international rugby but it leaves a bitter taste that they’ll be playing for England today, because we’ve certainly missed out, they could easily be playing for Wales.”

Incredibly Billy and Mako once lived under the same roof as current Welsh number eight Toby Faletau – another rugby international with Tongan roots.

Billy said: “We grew up together when my parents first came over.

“During the 1999 World Cup, when both of our Dads were playing, they had camps back in Tonga and we lived together for quite a bit.

“Near the end of my Dad’s career both of our Dads played together for Tonga.

“His Dad had the opportunity to come over and then my Dad came over a little while after.

“Because it was such a small community we became very close and then we found out that his Mum and my Mum were related so we became even closer.”

It was not their father’s rugby career that took Billy and Mako east of the Severn Bridge.

Their mother, Iesinga, a Methodist minister – decamped to Bristol where the family later joined her, and the brothers soon qualified for England on the grounds of residency.

Both joined Bristol’s academy and played for England at age-group level, starting with the under-18s, despite efforts by Fe’ao to persuade them otherwise.

“I tried to discourage the boys (from playing rugby as a career),” he said.

“I wanted them to study hard and try to become lawyers or doctors or teachers.

“Then I tried to convince them they should play for Wales, out of loyalty because, as a family we had ended up in the UK because of Wales.

“Not only were they were determined to play rugby, they said they wanted to play for England – and I couldn’t change their minds.”

The next step in the process was getting them into shape, as each was 20 kilos overweight.

Once again they, and in turn England, owe a debt of thanks to Wales.

“England Under-18s had a Welsh strength and conditioning coach called Neil Taylor,” said Billy.

“He told us we needed to shed a few pounds if we wanted to play at a high level.

“We knew ourselves it was holding us back, the problem was we’d starve ourselves by not having breakfast or lunch then come home and eat as much junk food as we could get.”

“I think we owe a lot to the people in Wales who helped us get our residency in the UK,” added Wasps number eight Billy.

“I think our dad feels a bit of loyalty towards the people in Wales, but for me and my brother to grow up in England, playing all our adult rugby in England, it feels right and that’s how we both feel.